


A Different Meeting

by MonkeyBlues



Category: Maleficent (2014)
Genre: Multi, supporting OCs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-12
Updated: 2014-06-30
Packaged: 2018-02-04 09:17:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1773820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonkeyBlues/pseuds/MonkeyBlues
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if it was not Stefan whom Maleficent met when she was young?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Starting Point

Aurora’s kindness had been the main source of ire for the King. A weakness unfit for one who shared his blood and named as his successor. She treated everyone alike, whether they were nobility or lowly rabbles. She mingled among the filthy commoners and acted like she was one of them; playing in dirt and even letting their grimy hands touched her. Make peace with the fairies, she said. Take a common girl as a squire, she proposed. Listen to the wisdom of an uneducated boy, she suggested. What came out from her mouth was always nothing but hubris and folly.

Fortunately, she was blessed with both beauty and a lovely singing voice. And at the very least, she understood and practiced the mannerism befitting of a royalty. With those combined, she could charm anyone she met easily, without even having the need to try. _That_ was her saving grace. He deemed those pixies to be not completely useless after all.

The King, in his boundless love, turned his eyes away from her daughter more… rambunctious nature, knowing when she come of age, it would not be hard to find a worthwhile husband for her to marry.

 

* * *

 

The Princess was seven years old when she first heard of the word ‘Moors’. She did not know what the word meant; just that her father would have a very scary look on his face at the mere mention of it. One day, she decided to ask her nanny. But alas, Aurora failed to fully understand the old woman’s story. Since for some reason, she would do so with hushed voice and used the kind of words that a child would not yet possess.

She tried asking others too, the cook, the stable boy, her tutor, other kids in the castle, captain of the guards. Their answers differed; for example, her tutor would open the map and showed her where it was, about how many had ventured there and never return; the captain would tell her not to be afraid of their dark creatures since he would protect her with his life; the other kids, she suspected, didn’t really know much about it too, they mostly just tried to scare her with made up stories.

At the end, she still didn’t quite understand what Moors was, except that it was located right outside of the Kingdom’s border. But one thing was clear to her; the fact that everyone, in various degree, held some sort of fear toward the magical forest. Also, that in truth, they didn’t know that much more about it than her either.

 

* * *

 

Aurora remembered that she dreamed the night the word Moors became a part of her. Not much of it was left in her memory when morning came, but her young mind knew that it was not an ordinary dream. Whisper of a song she never heard of, and a hazy form of a figure. She could not make out its face, yet somehow she knew it was smiling. At her. And she couldn't help but to smile back.

When a blurry arm was stretched out, beckoning for her to take it, she was rooted in place. Whether in awe or in fright, she did not know. For the figure in front of her had wings on its back and a pair of horns adorning its head.

The vision was rare and it would come when she least expected it. Appearing when she started to forget, as if as it served as a reminder.

Unfortunately, Aurora would not grasp its meaning until many more years to come.

 

* * *

 

She started sneaking out of the castle when she was ten. Winter had come early that year and the Kingdom was blanketed in white. Aurora had planned the escape for some time. She had always wondered what the world beyond the massive wall surrounding the castle was like. She knew her father would not allow the act if she was to ask, he didn’t even approve of her interacting with people outside those he deemed worthy, which only included the nobility and the gentry. Thus, sneaking out was the best way to go, she long decided.

She ‘borrowed’ one of the kitchen boy’s cloak to disguise herself and boarded the merchant’s wagon that was parked in the stable. She sat in the corner, making room for herself among the trade goods and kept her heads low, hood covering her head.

She felt her breath hitched when she heard the merchant came approaching with a soldier.

“That’s the last of it?” the soldier asked, his armor clanking noisily as he walked.

“Y-yes, sire. As per the K-King’s order.” The merchant stammered nervously.

“Yeah? Well, don’t forget to bring in more next week. You do know what happen to those who disobey the King, hm?”

More stammering, “Yes, o-of course sire. I would not even d-dream of it.”

“Good. Go then, be on your way.”

The merchant muttered some more pleasantries before getting on the wagon. Shouts ordering the gate to be opened echoed, and Aurora felt both tremendous nervousness and excitement.

 

* * *

 

When she sneaked back into the castle as the sun started to set, the young Princess had already hatched a new plan in the back of her mind for the next time she wished to travel outside again.

 

* * *

 

It was on the third outing that a few people accidentally found out who she was. After her successful first try, Aurora decided that the best time to go out for the second time was the week after (it went as flawless as the first one.) And the next followed not far behind it.

On that seemingly normal day, the young Princess was just walking around, admiring the bustling market and its various goods, when she was suddenly struck by a cold soft object on the head.

She yelped and turned around to find a group of kids, staring tauntingly at her with snowballs on their hands. “Hey there.” A boy with a cheeky smirk greeted somewhat smugly.

Aurora stared at him in disbelief. Did he just do what she thought he did? “Did you just him me with a snowball?” she expressed her thought.

“What do you think?” the girl beside him answered, wearing the same mischievous expression as the boy.

The Princess’ jaw hanged open for a short moment before it broke into a large grin. She had only ever read about the game in books, and after throwing a snowball at her unsuspecting father to imitate what she had read (she knew now how foolish that was) the King made sure that she would never do it again.

Her heart beat fast in giddiness and it became harder to stand still, “I think,” she crouched, picking up a handful of the white powder, “You’re going to regret it.”

 

* * *

 

The war lasted for a while, until the children fell down to the ground while panting in exhaustion and an unsaid ceasefire was agreed.

Her hood was down, her golden hair spilled wildly on the ground and she was cold all over, but Aurora never felt happier. She stared at the grey sky with a big smile on her face. A tug on her sleeve made her turned her head sideways. The same girl was lying near, with the boy sitting up on her side. “We’ve never seen you around before, I’m Emma. And this is my brother, Erik.” She said pointing at the boy. He waved at her with a big smile.

Still flooding with exhilaration and the eagerness to make friends, the Princess smiled widely and blurted out without thinking, “I’m Aurora!”

At first, they just nodded at her and were about to introduce the ‘new girl’ to the others when the familiarity of the name hit them. They instantly snapped their heads towards her and stared disbelievingly. Aurora’s eye went wide as she realized what she’d just said. Before she managed to make some kind of explanation or excuse, Emma gasped and shouted out, “You’re the Princess!”

Everything went silent immediately. The chattering of the kids died down; they had obviously heard the girl’s declaration. Erik was still staring at Aurora like he still couldn’t believe what was happening. Aurora looked at both of them with pleading eyes, and with a low voice begged them, “Please, no one else can know. Please.”

After what it felt like hours of staring and gaping mouth, Emma was the first one to recover. She reached out for the disguised Princess’ hand and gave it a light squeeze while smiling apologetically. “Hey everyone, gather around!” she called out. Aurora turned pale and felt as if she was just doused with cold water. But then Erik stood beside her and patted her shoulder reassuringly.

The other kids slowly approached them. Every one of them openly stared at Aurora, as if she was some sort of an unknown creature. Emma ignored them and helped her to stand up instead, “This is…” she looked at her for a while before nodding to herself, “…Rose. She just came from out of town. Help her out if you see her in trouble will you?”

They all still looked uncertain and somewhat nervous, feet shuffling anxiously. Some even looked like they were ready to bolt.

Erik mouthed to her what seemed to be the word ‘sorry’ before looping his arm around her shoulder. The Princess staggered slightly, but was quickly steadied by the boy’s strong grip, “Yeah, her name is _Rose_.” He glanced at his sister who smiled and winked at him conspiratorially, “We’ll see her around, won’t we?”

Aurora gave a shy nod, while Emma tangled their arm together and gave her a small nudge.

The casual way the sibling treated the Princess seemed to encourage the other kids a little bit. The youngest boy stepped forward with a tentative smile, “You have a really bad aim.”

This prompted some chuckling, and a giggle from Aurora. Emma grinned, “Well, but she got Henry good, didn’t she?”

An answer from another girl, “ _Everyone_ did.”

There was an indignant huff by said boy, but everyone was laughing in agreement. Just like that, the heavy atmosphere was lifted. Some of the bolder ones approached the Princess, and began to talk to her simultaneously, “Welcome to town!” “My name’s Roy!” “My Ma and Pa are the best bakers in town!” “Hope we can be the best of friends!” Soon every one of them was circling her, introducing themselves excitedly and telling her about the places where they would usually meet; promises to take her to all the special spots in the city were also made.

Aurora happily agreed with every one of them, smiling brightly all the while. The cold didn’t touch her after that.

 

* * *

 

When she was thirteen, Aurora already knew all the best way to get out of the castle unnoticed. The guards’ patrol time and path. Their habit; which ones were vigilant and which ones were more likely to have a hangover or fall asleep on duty. Which part of the walls were lightly guarded, and where all the watchtower’s blind spot were. When would a wagon come and when would it leave. Her favorite path was climbing down the vines that had growth so thick along the eastern part of the wall, it could support her weight.

She wrote them all down in detail in a notebook which she took from her father’s study. Strangely, of all the beautiful dresses and expensive toys that she had, the small plain book was her most prized possession.

Spreading her Kingdom map in front of her, she circled the place that was right at the edge of the sketch. Her finger traced the rough drawing of a forest, eyes shining in exhilaration.

This was the time when the Princess decided to _finally_ venture to the mythical forest of Moors.


	2. Mirror Image Part I

_Let us tell an old story anew. And we will see how well you know it. Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms that were the worst of neighbors. So vast was the discord between them, that it was said only a great hero or a terrible villain might bring them together. In one kingdom lived folk like you and me, with a vain and greedy king to rule over them. They were forever discontent and envious of the wealth and beauty of their neighbors. For in the other Kingdom, the Moors, lived every manner of strange and wonderful creatures. And they needed neither king nor queen; but trusted in one another. In a great tree on a great cliff in the Moors, lived one such spirit. You might take her for a girl. But she was not just any girl; she was a fairy._

_And her name was Maleficent._

-Queen Aurora, the First of Her Name

 

* * *

 

After listening to the bickering of the pixies, Maleficent immediately took off, rushing to the lake where the human was last sighted. A human in Moors was never a good sign. She had heard stories of their cruelty and greed, pillaging and ravaging everything on their path. A child fairy she might be, but she would never allow that to happen to her home.

She saw two Dendroids on the entrance of a small cave and landed right between them. The human must be hiding inside, she thought.

“ _Step back, Maleficent.”_ The protective creature cautioned her.

“I’m not afraid.” She assured him, “Besides, I’ve never seen a human up close.”

Maleficent squinted her eyes, trying to make out the figure that was hidden in the darkness, “Come out!” she shouted.

“No! They mean to kill me!” A high pitched voice cried back from the shadow, “And besides, they’re a… a talking tree! A tree shouldn’t be able to talk!”

Balthazar grunted loudly in protest.

“That’s extremely rude! Don’t listen to her, Balthazar.” Maleficent comforted gently, trying to cheer up her friend, “Nothing is wrong with you; you’re a perfectly fine Dendroid. And you have a lovely voice.”

The tree-creature growled in gratitude.

Maleficent returned her focus on the thief, “It’s not right to steal, but we don’t kill people for it.” she declared sharply. Her patience was wearing thin and she was very curious on what the human looked like, “Come out! Come out this instant!”

She heard movement from inside, and she couldn’t help taking a step forward toward it in wonder.

The first thing Maleficent saw was flowing golden tresses, shimmering radiantly under the bright sunlight. Before long, the intruder’s face was revealed; her skin was fair and her lips were tightly pressed together in nervousness. Soon the fairy found herself staring back at a pair of (scared? …awed?) violet eyes. She cocked her head questioningly, “Are you fully grown?”

“N-no.” the stranger stammered out.

Maleficent turned her head back to the two Dendroids, “I believe she’s just a girl.”

As if that offended her somehow, the human instantly retorted, “And you’re just a girl too.” But then she took another look at her and added uncertainly, “…I think.”

“Who are you?” Maleficent demanded.

“I am called—” a brief pause, “…Rose. My name is Rose.” The girl promptly asked back, “Who are you?”

She puffed up her wings, and tilted her head up, “I’m Maleficent.”

Balthazar cut their introduction short, reminding her, “ _She must give back what was taken from its place._ ”

Maleficent was surprised that she had strayed from her initial purpose. It was strange, she never did that before. “Yes. Right.” She nodded at him then whipped her head back to the uncertain looking human, “You must give it back.”

The girl, Rose, appeared genuinely taken aback and confused, “Give what back?” she asked.

She must be a very good liar, the fairy thought. Maleficent sighed and pointed at the girl’s clenched right hand.

Rose let out a shocked ‘Oh!’ before throwing the stone to her while apologizing, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that it belonged to you. It was just so pretty.”

Maleficent caught it and turned the stone a few times on her hand and caught the girl’s eyes, “It is not mine.” Then she tossed it back to the river where it belonged.

 

* * *

 

“Why did you throw it away?” the girl questioned as they made their way through the forest.

“I didn’t throw it away.” Maleficent answered and gave a little shrug, “I delivered it home as I’m going to do it for you.”

They arrived at the clearing, borders of the two regions, marked by a line of imposing rocks. A horse was near, grazing.

“Oh, please send my apology to…” Rose tried to recall, “…Balthazar was it? And his friend? I did not mean to insult them. It’s just… It was the first time that I have ever seen a tree that could move, let alone talk!”

Maleficent tilted her head slightly to the side, “I will. And he’s called a Dendroid.”

“A Dendroid.” The young girl nodded, “I will remember that.”

They fell into silence after that. Rose fidgeted on where she stood, seemingly reluctant to leave. Then, out of nowhere, she spoke up again, “Someday, you know, I’m going to leave that place.” She pointed at the direction of the human castle. “And live somewhere else.”

Maleficent scrunched her forehead and asked in confusion, “Why? Where do you live now?”

The girl bit her lip and shook her head with great intensity, looking somewhat flustered. Her voice when answering also sounded oddly shrill, “In the city! I live in the city!” she half shouted.

“You don’t like the city?”

Her gaze shifted downside, her fingers playing with the fabric of her cloak, “I like the city. I _love_ it.” Then as if she recalled an especially fond memory, she smiled brightly and her eyes gazed ahead, somewhere far away. But it quickly disappeared, “…I just don’t like my house very much.”

Maleficent continued her inquiry, “So your parents worked in the city too, then?” She was not quite sure on what made her so interested in this seemingly normal girl. It must be the novelty of interacting with a human for the first time, she concluded later on.

“My father… worked at the castle.” She answered in a small voice. “And my mother had passed away.”

The fairy stared right back and gave a knowing smile, “Mine too. My parents, I mean.”

The girl slowly turned her head towards her and stared at her with a strange look. Her eyes lighted up slightly and she said, “We’ll see each other again.” while starting to walk away towards her horse.

Watching the girl’s departing figure filled Maleficent with a sudden and tremendous sense of dread. “You really shouldn’t come back here, you know.” the fairy cried out before she could stop herself, effectively stopping the girl on her tracks. Her tone was pitifully desperate, and did poorly to mask her disappointment. She added feebly, “It’s not safe.”

The girl tilted her head slightly in what could only be described as wonder, “And if I make that choice, if I came back, would you be here?”

Maleficent bit the inside of her cheek to contain her incoming smile, “Perhaps.”

Rose grinned and offered her hand, wanting to seal the deal.

Without thinking, the fairy raised hers to accept it. Then, when they touched, Maleficent felt a stinging burn on her finger and quickly yanked her hand back with a pained yelp.

“What’s wrong?!” Rose screamed in concern, her hand hovering awkwardly over the fairy. Wanting to touch her to make sure she’s okay but afraid to hurt her again.

“Your ring.” Maleficent pointed out, “Iron burns fairies.”

Rose’s face turned into horror and she apologized instantly, “I am sorry.” She took off the said object, and threw it away with all her strength. Then, she offered her hand all over again, albeit a little bit more hesitant. The fairy examined the raised hand and took it on her own, gripping it firmly and shook it a few time, as she had seen other humans do.

However, when she was about to let go, Rose let out an elated squeal and pulled her forward without any warning. Maleficent was too shocked to do anything but stand still, her arms awkwardly hanging limp on her side; her wings fully stretched behind her in surprise. The girl held her tightly and gave a surprisingly powerful squeeze before releasing her. The fairy stumbled back a few steps.

Still with a big smile on her face, Rose looked at her one more time before turning her back and walked away once more, “I like your wings.”

It was impossible for Maleficent to hold back her beaming smile after that.

 

* * *

 

  _Maleficent thought of how Rose casted away her ring; she who was a stranger and who had no reason for doing such, except only so that their hands may touch again. And her heart was moved. Thus, the disguised princess, who had hoped to find adventure in the unknown land, found and gained something far more precious._

 

* * *

 

Aurora raced her horse as fast as she could. She had the strangest need to feel the wind on her face. And afraid, that if she was to stop, her resolve would falter.

Her mind was reeling. Breaths labored and face flushing. Her every limb trembled from unknown cause. Her heart beat so loudly, she half expected her ear would go deaf from the incessant pulsing. And on her face; a smile so wide and seemingly everlasting.

She didn’t know what was this feeling that was welling up inside of her; so strong and so insistent in bursting out. Whatever it was; there was no doubt in her mind that she _will_ come back.

 

* * *

 

Maleficent would deny it if anyone said that she had been spending more time sitting on the trees at the edge of the forest. Or that her gaze would linger a tad longer on the horizon, as if searching or waiting for something to appear. Or that she would look peculiarly dejected when she returned to her tree at night.

She definitely didn’t do any of that.

 

* * *

 

It took longer than Aurora had predicted for her to be able to go back to Moors, or even to sneak out from the castle at all. Her Father had been oddly insistent on ‘requesting’ her presence in court, and presenting her to delegates from other Kingdoms. Of course she had an inkling of what was happening, but she also knew that it was something that was out of her control, so she didn’t dwell too long in it. She played the perfect daughter and princess, answering when talked to and stayed quiet when not; a perfect smile on her face all the while.

But she _listened_. To every problem, every veiled maneuver to raise positions in court, every false praise delivered to her father. And she found there were many snakes in the grass, ready to sink their teeth at the slightest show of weakness. She understood the King a little better after that; his paranoia and viciousness. Not that she agreed with his way; only now she knew that he became the way he is for a reason, and that reassured her of the existence of the man she once knew; the stern yet kind father that would cradle her in his arms when she was younger. When her mother was still alive.

At the same time, it also raised a question in her head. One that disturbed her greatly at the moment of conception, yet quickly forgotten when more imminent problem arose.

It was this; with the right push, could even she herself become like her father?

 

* * *

 

It was two months later that she could finally travel again to the enchanted forest. Her father was leaving for a week, giving her plenty of time to even stay there if she wanted to (which she definitely planning to.) For that, she asked her nanny to cover for her, which the old woman responded with a disapproving look and a muttered, ‘Three days’. She hugged her tightly for it and thanked her over and over, until her nanny shooed her away. Though the Princess knew, if the old woman was aware of her destination, she would never agree to it.

 

* * *

 

“You’re not going to even say hello? I’m hurt.”

Aurora jumped at the sudden voice, she didn’t hear anyone coming. Erik snorted at her shocked expression, “Close your mouth, Rose. It’s unbecoming of a lady.”

She swatted his arm, “What are _you_ doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be helping at the inn?”

The young man shrugged, “Eh, needed some more water.” He said, raising the buckets in his hand to show his point, “And Emma decided to play the ‘I’m a girl’ card even though she just threw a couple of guys out. It was scary.”

Aurora giggle, finding it easy to imagine the scene. The sibling had been her best friends for the last few years, never mentioning or questioning her on the glaring fact that she was the princess. They were a few years older than her, with Emma being the eldest.

Erik had grown from a scrawny boy into a… less-scrawny young man. He was a few inches taller than Aurora but shorter than most people his age. His own sister towered over him, a fact that he wallowed in. But he was the smartest person in their group, and had the skills uncommon among the commoners; he could read, write, and count.

“Oh!” Aurora exclaimed in remembrance and took out a thick book from her travelling bag, “This is the book you asked for.”

Erik leaped in joy, throwing down the buckets to the ground. “I’ve been waiting for this!” he looked at her hesitantly, and Aurora opened her arms with a nod, “Come here.”

The young man didn’t need more permission before hugging her and lifting her off the ground, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Aurora squealed and squeezed him back before being let down to the solid surface.  

“It’s just a history book; you don’t need to thank me that much.” ‘Rose’ giggled at her friend enthusiasm.

Erik let out a disbelieving scoff, “JUST a history book?” he started, “Oh, sure. It _only_ has the most unbelievably detailed description of the War of the Wise Men. It’s _only—_ ”

Aurora put her hand up to stop his incoming rant, “Wait, War of the Wise Men. …Really, Erik?”

“What? They chose the most ingenious way to resolve their unending conflict! Without swords and blood!” And as if it was the most amazing thing in the world, the young man whispered in reverent, “ _Through a game of chess and riddles._ ”

Aurora couldn’t help but to stop her friend again, before he rambled further. She knew how he could get when talking about a book, “I’m sure it’s as… fascinating as you said, but I really must go. Tell Emma I’m borrowing her horse for a few days.”

“Oh.” The young man said, just noticing her appearance and the readied horse, “That’s a lot of stuff you’re bringing. Planning to go somewhere far?” And then his eyes caught her bare fingers, clearly noticing the missing object, “Where’s your ring?”

Aurora shook her head and smile while bringing herself up the saddle, “Just going to visit a friend.” Then with a smile, “I threw the ring away.”

Erik shouted out as she spurred her horse, “But you like that ring!”

She answered without looking back, “Not anymore!”

 

* * *

 

“Maleficent!” the fairy ears perked up at the sound of her name. She smiled to herself at the familiar voice and raised her head to peek through the leaves of the tree she was perched on. She saw _her_ jumping down from her horse and walked towards the forest. “Maleficent!” the girl called out again.

Wanting a little bit of payback after being made to wait, she didn’t come out immediately and opted to observe for a while. The girl looked around a bit more, peering into the cluster of trees, but didn’t take a step into Moors. She saw Rose’s face fell in disappointment at finding nothing; and decided that being petty was not really worth it. She swooped down and land behind the crestfallen girl without a sound,

“After all these weeks. Look who came back.” The fairy beamed, feeling slightly satisfied to be the cause for the surprised look on the girl’s face.

Rose’s mouth hanged open, before she finally regained her bearing. Her lips tugged upwards, “I thought it worth the risk.” She declared proudly, even though relief was evident on her face and her fidgeting fingers showed anything but confidence.

Maleficent only smiled in return.

Taking it as a good sign, Rose stepped forward and asked with twinkling eyes, “So what do you do for fun?”

 

* * *

 

_Rose and Maleficent became the most unlikely of friends._

 

* * *

 

Rose squealed in delight as she flew over the river, her feet gliding over the cold water. Her arms were tightly gripped by Maleficent whose expression turned mischievous when they flew over the deeper part. She let her hands go without any warning, and heard a splash of water accompanied with a startled squeak.

The fairy laughed and did a happy twirl in the air at Rose’s indignant huff and protest, “You did that on purpose!”

Maleficent let out an exaggerated gasp, “Why, I would never!” she smirked smugly, “You’re just too heavy is all.”

Rose retorted with a splash of water directed at her, but she easily dodged it with grace. The fairy chuckled, “Don’t be a sore loser, Rose.”

She could hear the girl muttered something about ‘I didn’t know we were playing a game’, before stretching out her arm, “Fine, now get me out of here. I’m freezing.”

Deciding to take pity at the quivering girl, Maleficent complied and glided down to take the stretched hand. Though rather than letting herself to be pulled out, Rose gripped the fairy’s wrist tightly and dragged her down with all her might. Maleficent let out a yelp and before she knew it; she was surrounded by water, her wings flailing uselessly around her.

When she pulled her head out, she glared at the laughing girl, “Hey! That wasn’t fair!”

Rose’s face broke into a satisfied smirk, “Oh, don’t be a sore loser, _Maleficent_.”

Flapping her soaked wings so that it created a small wave targeting the girl in front of her, she declared, “It’s on, human!”

 

* * *

 

Attracted to the sound of giggling and happiness, a few of the woodland creatures gathered around with a curious look on their face. There was no doubt that they were eager to join in, but hesitated when they saw that a human was present.

When Rose finally noticed their audience, she stopped and greeted them with a bright smile, “Hello there.” She made an inviting motion with her hands, “Don’t be shy, come closer!”

Maleficent used the distraction to shake her wings near the young girl, spraying waters everywhere. Rose glared at her, “Stop that!”

The fairy gave her an innocent ‘What?’ before turning her head at the tranced onlookers. They were giving her a not-so-discreet question with their tilted heads and eager eyes, and she answered it with a nod. They cheered enthusiastically and jumped into the water straightaway.  

It was a no barred, all-out war after that.

 

* * *

 

Rose sneezed loudly and kept her hands extended forward, trying to get as close as possible to the fire. Maleficent snickered at the display, human bodies are so weak, she thought. Or maybe, they just aren’t that tuned with nature as the dwellers of Moors are.

The girl gave her a dirty look, “It was your fault, you know.”

The fairy cocked her head in consideration then jumped down from her tree, landing quietly on the ground beside the shivering girl. She wordlessly sat down beside her and stretched her right wing, enveloping the girl gently with her warm feathers.

Rose looked somewhat stunned for a moment, before tentatively raising her hand and gently touched the offered wing, as if it was made of the most fragile glass. Seemingly satisfied with what she found, she ran her hand along the outer edge with more certainty, before tugging it closer so that it would fully wrap around her. She snuggled into Maleficent side and rested her head on the fairy’s shoulder, her finger absentmindedly continued to stroke the soft feathers. Maleficent made a content purr and brought her other wing to cover them, making a tiny, comfortable cocoon for the both of them.

They stayed still for a while. Only the sound of the night and the crackling fire permeated through the silent. Maleficent almost drifted to sleep when she had a feeling that she was being watched. She turned her head to the side and found Rose unabashedly staring at her. Considering their close proximity, the fairy felt slightly uncomfortable and repressed the urge to lean back. “What?” she asked the girl when she couldn’t take the attention anymore without heat raising to her cheek.

Rose didn’t answer, and brought herself impossibly closer. The fairy was frozen in place, not knowing what the girl intention was. She instinctively shut her eyes when she realized she could count the eyelashes adorning the fascinating violet eyes.

But then she felt a tug on her head. Maleficent scrunched her forehead at the strange sensation and opened her eyes, finding Rose’s neck in her line of sight. Another tug.

“…What are you doing?” She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

Tug. Tug.

“Stop it. Stop.”

Rose did as she asked, but not before giving her horns a final tug. She sat back down and gave her a sheepish smile. “Hello.” She said strangely timid, like a child that was found doing something she was not supposed to.

Maleficent just looked at the young girl with a raised eyebrow.

“Sorry, did it hurt?”

The fairy shook her head.

“Did it disturb you?”

She shook her head again, “No, it just feels… funny.”

Seemingly arrived at the conclusion that Maleficent wasn’t mad at her, Rose snuggled back in like nothing had happened. The fairy didn’t ask further, and just charted it as one of the girl’s many quirks.

She was about to drifted off again when she felt a ticklish whisper on her ear, “…I like your horns.”

Maleficent decided that her truest smile was an adequate response for the delightful admission.

 

* * *

 

_And for a time, it’s seemed as if, in them at least, the old hatred between men and fairies had been forgotten._

 

* * *

 

“So, what’s this one again?”

“Chocolate.”

“And this one over here?”

“Candy.”

“Here?”

“Apple pie.”

“This one?”

“Cookies.”

Maleficent nodded in awe while licking her lips, “And I can eat all of them?”

Rose looked at her with amused eyes and nodded.

The fairy cautiously took one of the ‘chocolate’ and plopped it into her mouth. Her eyes went wide as the brown object melted and filled her mouth with heavenly sweetness. She didn’t hesitate afterward and stuffed all the food in front of her into her mouth as many and as fast as she could, her wings flapping excitedly behind her in glee. She could hear Rose muttered something like a ‘you adorable little thing’ and a noise that suspiciously sounded like a squeal, but she ignored it.  

When she was down to the last piece of pie, she stopped, leaving her hand hovering in the air above it. She looked up to Rose who was still watching her with fond eyes and felt a pang of guilt. The fairy took the pie and offered it bashfully to the girl in front of her. Rose smiled at the gesture and accepted the gift, but then, she split it into two pieces and raised one to the fairy’s mouth.

Maleficent eagerly chomped it down, making sure not to bite Rose’s fingers in the process, savoring the sweet apple flavor on her tongue. When she licked her hand from the remaining sugars, she saw Rose watching her with a strange look before eating her own with a happy hum.

 

* * *

 

Maleficent stayed so very still on the branch that she landed on not a moment ago. Her eyes closed. She could hear every crunching of branch and leaves, sniffed every smell the winds carried in its current. It was foolish for a human to challenge her to this game.

When she was sure of her target’s location, she spread her wings open and took flight. It didn’t take her long to find what she was searching for, and with a pleased grin, she dived down, catching her quarry in surprise and pinned her to the ground.

Rose fell with a loud ‘Oof!’ while Maleficent, who was sitting on the girl’s back, yelled, “Hah!”

“Oh, come on! That was cheating!” The girl protested, her voice muffled by her position.

The fairy was content to disagree, not showing any kind of intention to move, “Nope. It was your own fault. I know this forest like the back of my hand. Trust me, you have no chance of winning from the very start.” And with a cocky tone, “Just like I told you.”

Rose tried to shake off the extra baggage that was weighing her down to no avail, “I’m the best player of hide and seek in the city! No one could find me, except when I wanted to be found.”

“In your city, maybe.” Maleficent shrugged while her fingers toyed with the disheveled golden hair. It really was so very pretty and soft. “And I doubt you could beat me even then.”

Rose made a noise that was most likely a disbelieving scoff.

“What, you don’t believe me?” The fairy asked tauntingly, only to be thrown over in the next instant by a smirking Rose. The girl looked down at her, “Oh, I believe you.” She put her hands on the ground at both sides of her head, “Only that I’m giving you a warning. I am full of surprises.”

Maleficent just groaned, “I hate you.”

Rose tilted her head slightly to the side, “No, you’re not.”

The fairy tucked a stray strand of golden hair to the girl’s ear and let out a defeated sigh, “No, I’m not.”

They stared at each other for a while before bursting into laughter, with Rose finally deciding to roll over and lay down on the ground.

When they both calmed down, the fairy turned her head to look at the girl, “Are all humans as crazy as you?”

Without missing a beat, Rose stared back at her, “Are all fairies as obnoxious as you?”

Maleficent just shook her head in an exasperated way but kept her smile intact, turning her gaze to the clear blue sky ahead of them. “You’ll find out someday.”

 

* * *

 

The sleeping fairy was awoken from her slumber by a sweet, divine voice. She thought she was still dreaming; it was a song that haunted her dreams for as long as she could remember. But when she could feel the gentle morning breeze on her face and soft fingers stroking her hair, she knew she was awake. Her dreams were never this vivid.

The hand moved to trace her horns and there was no doubt in her mind whose voice she had been listening to. The fairy kept pretending to be asleep, cherishing the blissful moment. And she was afraid that if she was to open her eyes, tears would spill out of it. Every word caused a painful clench in her heart, a strange aching that she did not want to stop. It was the kind that made her wanted to smile and cry at the same time.

When the voice reached the last note, a deafening silent fell. Maleficent could not hear any other sounds apart from her own pounding heart. She lay still with bated breath, until a clap rang from somewhere nearby. It was followed by another and another, becoming louder with each second. Enthusiastic cheering trailed behind, and she could feel Rose moved in what seemed to be a bowing gesture. She said some words of gratitude and after a while, the voices around them died down and sound of shuffling footsteps could be heard.    

Maleficent was about to open her eyes when Rose pinched her cheek, “I know you’re awake.”

The fairy swatted the hand away and raised her head from the girl’s lap, her wings stretching behind her. She yawned and turned her head, “How did you know that?”

Rose gave her a sly smile, “Not telling. You would stop doing it if you knew.”

Maleficent still felt too sleepy and dazed to argue so she stood up, wanting to feel cold water on her skin. “Come on.” She said, offering her hand. Rose grabbed it with a smile and she pulled her up easily. The girl kept their arms intertwined all the way to their destination.

When they arrived at the lake, and properly refreshed, Maleficent sat down and leaned her back on a tree. She trained her gaze on the young girl who was currently dipping her feet into the stream.

The commonly vain whispers of the song in her head returned, but this time, the voice was considerably more pronounced. She realized she wasn’t daydreaming; Rose was humming it.

The question was out of her mouth before she even realized it, “What song is that?”

The humming stopped and Rose tilted her head slightly, not looking at anything in particular. Her face was set with an inscrutable expression, “This would sound strange.” She answered while kicking the water, “But I don’t know.”

“But you sang it so perfectly this morning.” Maleficent protested. She had hoped the girl could provide her with an answer or at least a clue.

“I’m sorry. I sincerely do not know.” The young girl repeated, looking quite apologetic. She splashed the water around for a bit before adding somewhat hesitantly, “I knew the song… from my dream.”

The fairy eyes went wide and she almost leapt in exhilaration, not that Rose was paying any attention because she was busy with spraying water everywhere, “That sounded a bit crazy, isn’t it? I don’t know why, but the song has been with me since I was a child. It has always been fragments and whispers—” she stopped her rambling abruptly, and scrunched her forehead, seemingly deep in thought. Then her face lighted up in realization and she let out a small gasp, “—until this morning. This morning, it came to me in perfect clarity. The words, the notes; and it felt like… like—”

Maleficent couldn’t hold herself back, “Like you’ve just found something you didn’t even know you were searching for?”

Rose looked at her with a curious expression on her face, “Why, yes. That actually describes it really well.” She stepped out of the water, “Perfectly, in fact. And how, I wonder, could you possibly know that?”

Maleficent could tell her the truth. But she didn’t. Dreams were often results of imaginations, but when two persons had the same recurring one… Then it became magic. An old, powerful magic. And Maleficent’s instinct told her that it was not yet time to share this, not until she knew the meaning behind it.

“I heard it from somewhere before.” She answered lamely, and winced, because even to her ear, it didn’t sound the least convincing.

Rose was right in front of her now and was openly scrutinizing her face. Maleficent thought that the girl would push further, but she backed down instead. “It’s okay.” She said quietly, “Everyone has a secret they don’t want to share.”

Rose straightened herself and walked past her to gather her belongings. The fairy stayed silent for a minute, deep in thought. She felt that she had hurt the girl somehow. With a deep breath and a fiercely pounding heart, she spoke out, “Can you… Can you sing it again? For me?”

The girl halted her action and turned her head around, giving the fairy a warm smile and said, “I was singing for you this morning.”

The soft melody of the song echoed throughout Moors, and the forest fell silent in reverence.  

 

* * *

 

“So, you really must return?”

Rose nodded dejectedly as they made their way towards the forest edge, her hand clutching the tip of Maleficent’s left wing, “Yes, I made a promise. Besides, my father will return soon.” She added with a sigh, “I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back.”

The fairy made an acknowledging sound, feeling anxiety creeping throughout her. It took the young girl two months to come back, how long will it be until their next meeting? They spent the walk mostly in silent; although a few creatures that they met along the way would stop them from time to time, expressing their sadness at seeing Rose leaving. With just a short time, the human girl had managed to capture all of their hearts.

When they arrived at the clearing, Rose gave the fairy’s wing a few tugs. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but then settled with a small smile instead. She let out a deep sigh, and without meeting her friend’s eyes, muttered a soft ‘Goodbye’ before starting to walk away.

Facing the inevitable parting, there was only one thought that filled the young fairy’s mind; please don’t leave. But she knew that her wish was too selfish to be spoken out loud. However, she also knew that regret would weigh her down if she let the girl go without saying anything.

Thus the words were out of Maleficent’s mouth before she could even think of what she wanted to say, “Promise me!”

Rose stopped, and turned to look at her with a somewhat hopeful expression. The fairy grew bolder at the encouraging reaction, and she walked towards the girl with an unwavering gaze.

“Promise me that you will come back.” She began again and stopped her stride when there were but a step between them, “No matter how much time pass, promise me that, and I will be here.”

Rose stared back at her, her face so full of emotions; the fairy couldn’t even guess what she was feeling. The young girl opened her mouth, but then quickly bit her lip and took a deep breath instead.

“I promise.” She pledged, placing her right hand on her heart, her eyes never leaving the fairy’s.

Maleficent mimicked Rose’s gesture, a hand on her heart, “Then I too shall promise.” She spread her wings and arms apart, “As all of Moors bear witness of the words that was spoken.”

Rose chuckled at the grand gesture. She offered her hands with playful eyes and said, “To seal the deal.”

Maleficent felt a strange rush of warm when she saw the finger were devoid of any iron ring. She accepted and shook it a few times as she did when they first met. Rose was clearly recalling the same memory and let out a sweet sounding giggle.

What differed with the nearly identical moment were; it was Maleficent who pulled the young girl’s hand, and it was she who brought their bodies together in an embrace. And it was Rose who was frozen in place. Yet the role reversal presented one more change, rather than letting her arms hanging limp on her side, Rose wrapped hers tightly around the fairy’s shoulder, burying her head on the dark hair.

The girl whispered, “The deal is sealed. As all of Moors is our witness.”

 

* * *

 

_As it will, friendships slowly turned into something else._

 


	3. Snippets of Life I

Her first encounter with humans occurred when she was resting on a tree near the edge of the forest. Sounds of unfamiliar voices startled her from her drowsiness, and she quickly hid herself. But being a faerie and a child she couldn’t suppress her curiosity for long at the sound of excited noises and decided to take a peek from between the leaves.

It turned out to be a group of children, standing right beside the line of rocks, talking loudly among themselves. They were having some kind of discussion, their eyes casting uneasy glances to the forest. After a while, it seemed a decision was made and one of the older looking one took a step forward. His face was pale as a sheet.

He took a visible gulp and made a small leap to cross the borders, which meant he was now standing on Moors’ land. He stayed for a moment with eyes closed, his fingers clenching tightly on his side.

A heavy silence fell and the faerie could see all the tense faces the children wore. When nothing happened, the boy opened one of his eyes, peering to the left and right before letting out a relieved sigh. He broke into a wide grin and whooped loudly, throwing his arms into the air in gleefulness. The others followed immediately with a loud cheer.

The boy walked back with a proud smile on his face and goaded his friends to do the same. Maleficent cocked her head in question; trying to understand what was so fun with what they were doing. A girl this time, jumped passed through the borders.

Similar with the boy, she didn’t move for a while before turning back with an exhilarated squeal. The others, once again, welcomed her with a big round of applause. It went on for several times, and the faerie realized that this was some kind of a game. A test of courage, she supposed. Maleficent grinned when an idea hit her. She stood up on the branch, bending her knees in a taut stance and waited for the next person to come up.

It was the first boy again. He tried to encourage a reluctant kid beside him, telling him that nothing would happen, and he would prove so by doing it again. He straightened himself and took a step in. He waited for a while as he did before but this time, with a confident smirk and a deriding scoff. As he turned around to show that everything was okay, Maleficent flapped her wings in his direction, creating a gust of wind strong enough to fling him down to the ground and push all the children back a few steps. With that, all of them shrieked in panic and scampered away as fast as they could.

They didn’t hear the sound of laughter echoing behind them.

 

* * *

 

The children came back a few times after that. Sometimes with more people, sometimes less. It was as if they were waiting for something magical to happen again. And really, how could Maleficent deny them that?

She would let them do the game for a while before making her move. She made rainclouds right above their heads for one time. Another, she made the ground shook. Even though they always ran away and screamed in the end, after a while, sounds of laughter could also be heard amidst the terrified ones. They also always returned a few days later. The faerie found herself actually looking forward to it.

Until one day, when she was just about to do her trick, angry shouts boomed, piercing the quiet evening air and instantly freezing her on the spot. She tensed up and crouched back down. Then, she saw a group of furious looking humans carrying pitchfork and other kinds of tools, with torches coming towards Moors.

The faerie paled and stayed silent, trying not to make any sound. The humans stopped a few steps behind the children then called out to them with thunderous yells. With shoulder slumped, the children strode towards the group of people whom Maleficent assumed to be their parents, and was scolded thoroughly as they walked away.

They never came back after that, and Maleficent rarely spent her time near the edge of the forest again.

 

* * *

 

Aurora first met Philip when she was eleven, or so the Prince claimed. She didn’t remember it, but he insisted that it was so. He came visiting to her Kingdom with his father, he said, for a trading agreement. But, he admitted, they weren’t properly introduced. He only saw her playing on the garden, surrounded by vibrant flowers and rich colored butterflies. He told her that he could never forget it; it was a scene out of the fairytale book that his mother used to read to him before he went to sleep.

The Princess pointed out that it meant _she_ hadn’t actually met him then, since she didn’t notice his presence at the time. But, Philip swore that their eyes met and she smiled at him before he was called away by his father. Aurora scrunched her forehead and tried to recall, but in the end, to the young man disappointment, she told him she really couldn’t remember their brief encounter.

 

* * *

 

The meeting that she did remember was set a year after. This time, it was her father who came visiting to Ulstead. Aurora was invited to sit with the two Kings as they discussed their Kingdoms affairs. The Princess was of course, had a sweet smile on her face all the while and would laugh politely when a joke was made.

It was then that the young man who was introduced as the heir to the throne, Prince Philip, caught her eyes. They had already exchanged pleasantries just a moment before, but it was the first time she truly looked at him.

His jaw was set stiffly, his posture perfectly straight and rigid, his eyes stern, but there was a hint of a smile on his handsome face, exuding the perfect proportion of gentleness and regality. It was terribly perfect, that she knew he was just like her in a way; capable of wearing the proper mask at the appropriate time.

When their fathers started to raise their voice at a disagreement, both of them somehow found themselves in each other gaze, and for a short moment, they shared a knowing and genuine little smile. That was when Aurora noticed that the prince had very warm brown eyes, and it became the start of their somewhat peculiar friendship.

 

* * *

 

Emma and Erik’s father served as a soldier under her grandfather’s rule. That was something the Princess discovered when she was invited to their inn, which also served as a tavern at night. Their father, Geoff, and their mother, Leanna, welcomed her with open arms. Aurora knew then where the siblings got their friendly disposition.

At first, she was somewhat apprehensive on coming to a place which main business was selling ale and encouraging people to get drunk, but the siblings reassured her that it was safe and that the place would be pretty much empty in the afternoon. So she agreed, and indeed, grew fond of it in quite a short time.

She met Geoff first, and felt very tiny standing in front of his towering figure. His hair was dark with graying edge, and a scruffy beard covering the lower part of his face. He wore an eye patch on his left eye. He walked with a limp, yet somehow it made him looked much more imposing rather than as a sign of weakness. When he first laid eyes on her, the man face was set in a deep frown. However, the short ‘Hello’ he gave next was impossibly gentle, and the Princess couldn’t help but to smile sincerely in return. She saw the uncovered blue eye softened at the display.

Erik explained to him who she was and how she came to live in the city, with Emma adding more detail from time to time. The story was so well crafted, she herself could almost believe that the girl called ‘Rose’ truly existed. When they had finished recounting the tale, Geoff just grunted in acknowledgement. Then he told Erik to call his mother and Emma to bring the freshly baked apple pie from the kitchen. The sibling hesitated on leaving her alone, but Aurora gave them a small smile and a nod. She thought it could be interpreted as an ‘I’m okay’ gesture or a veiled attempt at ‘Please don’t leave me alone’. Sadly they took it as the former and sauntered off with a shrug and a curt ‘We’ll be right back’.

“Come, sit here.” The man said, gesturing at the chair in front of the bar. The Princess followed obediently and sat there, her hand gripping her clothes tightly under her cloak in an attempt to prevent herself from fidgeting nervously.

Aurora expected for the man to ask questions, but he stayed silent, focusing his attention at wiping tankards with a rag instead. Yet strangely, she felt as if she was being watched, even though he never took off his eyes from his task.

The Princess was never one to have difficulties at starting a conversation, but her nerves stopped her tongue this time. She had dined with kings and queens, but she froze in the presence of her friends’ parents. She found it peculiar.

Not exactly knowing what else she was supposed to do, Aurora let her eyes wander in hope that time would go faster. The place was considerably cleaner than she had imagined. It was empty except for the two of them and she wondered how the nighttime scene would look like. That was when she noticed a shield hanging on the wall; in its center was a crest that she knew very well.

The surprise brought her voice back, “Were you in the army?” she asked, keeping her gaze at the object. The siblings never mentioned it before.

Geoff finally raised his head and followed her line of sight. He didn’t say anything for a while to the Princess increasing nervousness. But then with a deep voice, “Yes, I was a soldier once. Part of King Henry’s army.”

Aurora felt something inside her at the mention of her grandfather’s name. The man passed away before she could properly remember him and her father never talked about him. She couldn’t help but wonder, “What was he like?”

She could hear him placing down the tankard he was holding, “King Henry?” He asked, leaning himself on the bar beside her. Aurora nodded in confirmation.

“He was a great—” The father stopped with his mouth still hanging open, an inscrutable expression on his face. His gaze moved downward, as if in thought.

He let out a deep breath before continuing, “He was… like the kings before him. Seeking wealth and fortune. Expanding territories,” He added after a brief pause, “…and strived to conquer Moors until his last breath.” He let out a humorless chuckle that sounded more like a deep grunt, “Obviously he didn’t have any more success than his predecessor.” It was quite clear from his disgruntled manner that he didn’t hold much love for his former liege.

At the mention of the enchanted forest’s name, Aurora whipped her head to the side to look at the man, thought of her grandfather vanished instantly, “Have you been there then? To Moors?”

The man tapped his eye patch, “My eye and leg were injured in a battle with them.” He shook his head ruefully, “We never even set a foot inside.”

She almost jumped from her chair in excitement. She couldn’t believe she actually find someone who had been there and didn’t sound particularly reluctant on talking about it. The Princess gave him her sweetest smile, “Can you tell me then? About Moors? Anything at all?”

The man let out an amused sound before complying and proceeded with telling his experience. About the tree-like creatures, riding the strangest animals he had ever seen into battle; the earth serpents, sweeping the army away like a giant wave; the gigantic beings which sent men flying with one stroke of his arms; how the forest itself came to life to defend its land; about the devastating lost the human experienced.

Aurora listened raptly to every word, her eyes never leaving the man whom, as the story continued, became more and more animated at telling it. Gone was her previous nervousness, and gone was his rigid demeanor.

“—Then I fell to the ground, with no weapons in my hand and no one around to help. The signal to retreat echoed across the plain.” He said in an ominous tone while lying down in the floor, playing out his story. It took all the Princess had to stay still as it reached its climax. “One of my eyes was bleeding and my leg would not move.” He covered his left eye with his hand and the other on his leg, his face scrunching up as if he was truly in pain, “As the tree-like creature came towards me, I steeled myself, knowing that my time had come.”

He stopped and closed his good eye, and as if he was reliving the moment in his mind, he stayed silent. Aurora couldn’t take it anymore and asked, “Then what happened?”

Geoff laid there and opened his eye, staring intently into nothingness, “No one ever believed this part.” He said, whispering in grave tone, “I stared at its eyes as it towered before me. And the most magical thing happened; it spoke.” He turned his gaze towards her. “Not in our words mind you; it sounded more like grunt noises. But I _knew_ it was speaking.” He let out a deep breath, “Then, it just turned around and went back to the forest.”

Aurora painted the words into a picture inside her mind, “How did you return to the castle after that?”

“My friend came back after a while and he brought me home. Told me that I was lucky I was still alive.” He scoffed at it, “It wasn’t luck. The creature saw me, and it decided to be merciful.”

Aurora tilted her head and offered her hand to the man. His much larger one took it and gave it a slight pull to help him stand up. The young girl staggered back slightly at the force, “Why didn’t people believe this part?”

He straightened himself and with a sad gaze, “They didn’t believe that those creatures are capable of showing mercy.”

There was more behind it, the Princess perceived, but she didn’t ask further. They fell into silent afterwards, but it was not as stifling as before; they were both lost in their thought.

She caught him glancing at her with a rather perplexed expression, “You are a very… strange girl.” He said as if he was trying to figure something out, “I have not told that story in a long time.”

Aurora raised her hands and grasped the man fingers in a gentle touch, “My father always said that I’m quite the charmer.”

Geoff opened his mouth as if he was about to speak but closed it again. After giving her one last curious look he averted his gaze away.

That was when the mother came in. A petite woman with auburn hair and kind green eyes, full of enthusiasm, “Oh! Hello there! I heard your voices from upstairs and it sounded like you two are having fun already!”

“We are.” The husband confirmed, instantly putting his hand on her back as she came closer, “Lea, this is Rose. Rose, my lovely wife, Leanna.”

Aurora stood up and smiled politely, “Hello, ma’am. Thank you for having me today in your home.”

The woman shook her head, “Oh, shush. Call me Lea.” She corrected while throwing her arms around her and gave her a powerful squeeze. The woman patted her shoulder a few times before drawing back, sighing exasperatedly, “Although, I do wish that my kids have at least half of your politeness.”

Just in time, Emma and Erik walked in with mouth stuffed with what looked like apple pies, if the missing slices from the plate could be any clue. Rose giggled at Leanna’s disapproving glare, “You two! It was for our guest!”

Seemingly undisturbed with the reprimanding, Emma muttered out with mouth full while her brother nodding eagerly beside her, “Rose is not a guest. So it’s okay.”

They still got smacked in the head for what Aurora thought was a great excuse. As they squabbled among themselves, she turned her attention to the father. His mouth didn’t form a smile, yet his eye was so full of love, she couldn’t help but to feel slightly envious. No one had ever looked at her in such an adoring way.

And the young girl wondered if she herself would look at someone with so much love in her eyes someday?

 

* * *

 

The siblings always walked with her until the street near the castle on her way back. “So…” Aurora started, “Your father likes to tell stories.”

Erik snorted while Emma just grinned, “He even has a puppet theater in the storage. Want to see next time?”

The Princess grinned, “I would love to.”

 

* * *

 

It was months later that she had the chance to stay until the night. The room was dim, with a large fireplace in the middle and small lanterns scattered along the walls as the source of light. The atmosphere contrasted with the afternoon; this was the place true face, she realized.

Aurora let her hood up to ensure that no one would recognize her. She needed to be more cautious than ever, since she couldn’t know who would recognize her among the throng of people. She even saw some soldiers, whose shifted just ended, drinking and talking loudly on a table in the corner. It was the usual group who were most likely to be guarding the walls with a hangover. With the speed they were drinking with, it was no mystery why they always ended up with such state, she thought in mild amusement.

She slipped her hand inside her cloak, caressing the leather bound cover of her notebook as she made her way to the bar. It helped calm herself down slightly.

Suddenly, a hand touched her shoulder with a firm grip. The Princess froze in her place, not daring to turn her head at the person who stopped her. A strong smell invaded her nose. Whoever it was, they were clearly drunk.

“Aren’t you too young to be in this kind of place, lass?” The gruff voice slurred.

Aurora released a relieved sigh. It didn’t seem like she was recognized after all. “I’m just meeting my friends, sir.”

The man didn’t give up easily, “Well, I’ll stay with you until you find them.” He hiccupped, “These drunk lot could be dangerous even if they don’t mean it. Got a teeth knock out by a stray flinging arm once.”

“I’m really okay, sir. My friends are—”

“—Here. And you have one too many drink, old man. Time to stop, else you want to be thrown out again?” Emma cut off while flinging her arm around Aurora’s shoulder, giving her a playful wink before turning to glare at the drunken man. The younger girl shot her a grateful smile.

The man mumbled something about how he could find his way out before walking off.

Emma gestured with her head to follow her, “Sorry ‘bout that. He’s harmless, I swear. Just drunk is all.”

Aurora fastened her pace, trying to keep up with the older girl’s swift stride, “It’s okay. I was worried about him knowing rather than being drunk.”

She grinned, “Great! Sit at the bar, I’m going to bring you some—” A sound of a table slammed cut her off. Both of them turned their head at the source of the noise, finding two men glaring at each other. Though most of the patrons didn’t even blink and went on with what they were doing without even a blink. Aurora took the reactions as a sign that this was not an uncommon happening.

Then a shout that sounded suspiciously like Erik came from somewhere near the ruckus, “Emma! It’s up to you now!” before the two men started to exchange punches.

Emma let out an annoyed sigh, “You think that they know when to stop after all this time.” She looked at the younger girl who was watching the scene with wonder, “Sorry, duty calls. Sit tight. I’ll come back soon.” With that she sauntered off to the brawl, cracking her fingers on the way.

Aurora kept watching the sight with interest. The soldiers in the castle always sparred while upholding the code of honor. But the one happening here had no rules whatsoever and the Princess found it somewhat fascinating. When Emma arrived at the scene, none of them noticed while the spectators snickered.

“So how much do you want to bet until she kick—” Emma kicked one of the unsuspecting brawler, making him crash into his opponent. Erik cringed when they fell down in a heap. He shook his head and passed her a tankard, “Never mind.”

Aurora accepted it with a soft ‘thanks’ before sniffing it. Apples. “The best apple cider in town.” The young man said taking a sip from his own, “Or so does Mum claim anyway.”

The Princess took a small sip and smiled when the sweet flavor filled her mouth. “It’s really good.”

Erik hummed in agreement. Emma was holding the two men on their scruff, forcing them to stand up and leave.

“Is it always this… rowdy?” the young girl asked.

“Eh, not always. But most night, yeah.” He shrugged, “Emma won’t know what to do with herself if not. How else could she beat up people for free?”

She giggled. No matter how irritated the older girl sounded about doing the task, she did always had this satisfied look on her face when recalling the tales or doing the deed. Some people clapped and whistled as Emma pushed the troublemakers out of the door. She gave them a bow in return.

“So, anyway.” Erik started, trying to get the younger girl’s attention. “Do you know who those guys on the table in the corner over there?”

Aurora followed his line of sight, finding a few men dressed in fine clothes that stood out from the other patron. She unconsciously tugged her hood, making sure that it was still fully covering her face. She met those men just this afternoon. They were traders from distant land, seeking permission to conduct business in the Kingdom’s territory.

The Princess said so to the eager young man and saw his eyes lighted up. He straightened himself and went around the bar to grab a flagon of ale. He took a deep breath and gulped, “I’m going to talk to them. Wish me luck.”

Erik had been expressing both his desire and frustration to learn more, as he claimed that books, as great and wonderful as they are, had their limitations.

Aurora, not having any solution to his predicament, shared her way of learning instead. She told him that she learned better by listening and observing rather than reading. The young man looked uneasy at the idea of talking to complete strangers and asking them to share their stories, but it seemed like he had made a decision to try it after all.

The girl smiled, “You don’t need luck. More like, a push.” She did exactly just that and gave the young man a gentle shove forward.

He staggered a bit and snickered, “I’m off then.”

She waved her hand in response.

Judging from the excited cheer from the table not long after, he was quite welcome there. Well, maybe it’s the free ale, but it was a start.

 

* * *

 

Spending the nighttime at the inn became Aurora’s favorite pastime in the city. Sometime a travelling bard would be there, singing songs of the sea and vicious pirates. Gallant knight and fair princesses. Of the unknown lands and mysterious magic. Long lost treasures and deadly beasts that guards it. And she was entranced. It was nothing like the song and music they would play in the castle. This was something unrestrained, entertainment in its pure from; performed without any fear or limitations. And it was so much more beautiful.

Aurora danced with everyone. With Emma and Erik; Valka joining them from time to time. Drunken and sober strangers. With travelers whom she might never meet again. She even managed to coax Geoff that one time to everyone surprise.

Oh, and how the people talked. So much more when alcohol invaded their mind and bodies. The off duty soldiers, merchants, farmers, everyone spoke their mind without any restrain, more so because they thought she was nothing but a simple girl.

As when she sat with her father, the child listened to their words with absolute attention. She found that among the drunken slur and unfocussed way of talking, lays the truth that no one would ever dare to say if they were not inebriated. It made her realized that one way of knowing whether the people are truly happy or not was quite simple. It was through listening to them in a place like this.

 

* * *

 

Maleficent flew back to her tree after finishing her patrol. The Moors was as peaceful as ever, but her parents had told her to be alert and vigilant at all times. You never know when the human army will attack, they warned her. Or even just a lone thief who desecrates the forest for nothing but his own greediness. The child kept their words to heart.

She was just about to plop down on her branch when she noticed a black bird occupying the spot. Her face scrunched in a frown. All of Moors knew that this was her dwelling; the Raven must be new. She was tired, but still tried to make an effort to tell him to go away in a polite way. “Hello there.” The young faerie greeted, “Are you new here in Moors?”

The bird made a squawking sound, confirming her words. She smiled regretfully, “I’m sorry, but this is my home. Can you move somewhere else?”

He croaked in distress while flapping his wings vehemently.

“What? You’re too tired to move? You looked pretty energetic to me.” The Raven halted his movement and made a coughing noise instead, although coming from him, it sounded more like as if he was being strangled. Maleficent ignored the bird’s dramatic action, “Oh, you just traveled from up north? I heard their human King and Queen just passed away, is that true?”

The bird nodded his head solemnly. He had a good manner, it would seem. “That is tragic.” Maleficent fell silent for a moment and lowered her head with eyes closed, mourning for those who were left behind and welcoming their spirit back to the sky.

Her eyes grew heavy, and she decided that their talk could be continued tomorrow. “I know you have come from a long way, but could you just move to that other tree nearby?”

The Raven made a sad squawk, and covered his head with his wing in a seemingly weeping motion. “Oh, don’t be dramatic!” the faerie exclaimed, “You will be eaten? No! There are no predators around here. …The other birds wouldn’t accept you? Did you even try to be nice with them, instead of being so obnoxious?”

The cawing grew louder. Maleficent threw her arms up exasperatedly, “Fine! Stop crying already!” The bird obeyed, and brought his wing slightly lower, his eyes peeking with a pleading gleam, “Yes, you could stay here for a night. I suppose it’s big enough for the both of us.”

The Raven flapped his wings happily, and scooted over to make room for the young faerie. When Maleficent had made herself comfortable with her wings tugged around her in a warm blanket, the bird called out again. She raised her head slightly, and saw him spread his wings to the side and lowered his head in a grateful bow. She returned the gesture with a nod and a smile.

When she woke up the next morning, she noticed that the Raven had left. Her eyes gazed sleepily into the slowly rising sun. The sounds of chirping birds and splashing of waters by the water sprites echoed around her. The forest was waking up, and so must she.

She stood up and let out a yawn. The young faerie glanced briefly at the spot where the Raven spent the night and patted it a few times, before spreading her wings and soared to the sky.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These Snippets of Life chapters would be a kind of interlude. Stories of the characters', main and supporting, everyday life. It isn't necessarily connected directly to the main plot, but more as a way to flesh out the characters. Enjoy!


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